cardamom cinnamon rolls with bourbon cream cheese icing
Ingredients
For the dough
1 cup whole milk
100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
113 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
3 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste, if you're feeling fancy)
625 grams (5 cups) all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons (one package) instant yeast
For the filling
113 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
220 grams (1 cup) brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
For the icing
4 ounces cream cheese (I use lactose free cream cheese), softened
58 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (if omitting bourbon, use 1 tablespoon vanilla)
200 grams powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the dough
Combine milk, sugar, salt, and butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium low heat, stirring, until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla, and milk mixture.
Add flour and yeast and mix with a wooden spoon. Dough will be quite sticky at first, but will come together the more that you knead it. If the dough is sticking to the bowl, add extra flour, one tablespoon at a time, just until dough stops sticking to bowl (do not add too much flour!). Knead dough until soft and smooth, about 10 minutes total.
Transfer dough to a greased bowl and roll the dough around to lightly coat the dough with oil.
Cover the bowl and let sit in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size. This should take about an hour, but the total amount of time will depend on the temperature where the dough is rising. (See note below.)
While the dough is rising, make the filling by mixing butter, brown sugar, cardamom, and cinnamon together until well combined.
Roll out the cinnamon rolls
Once dough is ready, punch it down and put it on a lightly floured surface.
Roll the dough out into a rectangle of even thickness, about 12"x18" (this does not have to be precise!). The longer side of the rectangle should be facing you.
Spread the filling over the dough with a rubber spatula or your fingers, leaving a 1 inch border at top and bottom (along the long edge of the dough).
Starting with the long edge furthest from you, roll dough towards you into a log shape. Pinch the seam together.
Use unscented dental floss or a very sharp knife to cut the log into 12 even rolls.
Arrange rolls in a buttered 9x13" pan.
If making rolls overnight: Cover pan with plastic wrap and leave in fridge overnight (no more than 24 hours). The next morning, take pan out of fridge and allow dough to come to room temperature and finish rising. This will take an hour or two. The rolls are ready when they have about doubled in size from the night before.
If completing rolls the same day: Leave rolls in a warm place to rise until they have about doubled in size.
Bake and ice the cinnamon rolls
Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes, until rolls are lightly golden brown.
While rolls are baking, make the icing. Whisk cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Add bourbon, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Whisk to combine.
Once rolls are done baking, spread icing over the rolls and serve.
Notes:
I don't have a stand mixer, but if you have one you may use it rather than kneading the dough by hand.
If your house is cold like mine and you don't have a proofing drawer, you can help your dough rise more quickly by putting it in a slightly warm oven. To do this, fill a glass baking dish with boiling water and put it on the bottom rack of your oven. Put your dough on the upper rack and shut the door. Do not turn the oven on. The steam from the boiling water will raise the oven's temperature enough to help your dough rise more quickly.
About this recipe
These cardamom cinnamon rolls are fluffy soft sweetness in every bite! I've included instructions both for overnight cinnamon rolls and for making them in one day. I hope you enjoy!
